Combined timer and distributor



July 3, 1928.

c. F. GlLcHRlsT ET AL.

COMBINED TIMER AND DISTRIBUTOR Original Filed Jan. 24, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet RED OF5 Y Thr. E NEN... N Na n IF.. A En July 3, 192s. 1,676,185 c. F. GILCHRIST ET AL COMBINED TIMER AND DISTRIBUTOR original Filed Jan. 24. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnin INVENTORS Clarenne F. Gilchrist rirlrr)l R. Fettarsun ArToRNEY.

Patented July 3, 1928.

UNITED STATES ,PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE F. GILCHRIST AND HARRY R. lPATTERSON, OF TOLEDO, iOHIO, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE ELECTRIC AUTO-LITE COMPANY, OF TOLEDO,

OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

COMBINED vTIMER AND DISTRIBUTOR.

Application led January 24, 1921, Serial No. 439,521. Renewed August 15, 1925.

This invention i relates to ignition sysf character of spark advance may be varied at' will.

Another object of our invention is the provision of an 'improved means for connecting the battery lead with the timer mechanism and a. novel type of breaker contact carrying means associated therewith.

Still another object, of our invention relates to the assembly and associated operal tive parts of the mechanism whereby the same are operatively connected, supported and housed.v y

Further objects of our invention relate t details of construction of various parts and various part assemblies. which not only cooperate in the combination structurally or functionally. but also have novel features of advantagein the parts and part aemblies per se. The objects of the invention also include structures providing economies of manufacture as will hereinafter appear from the detailed description to follow. IVe. ac- .complish the objects of our invention inone instance b v the devices and means described lll) dent thatthe same may be varied widely without depairtingfr'om the scope of the 1nvention as pointed out in the vappended claims. A structure constituting an embodiv in the following specification butvit is evi,l

Fig. III is a cross sectional view showing the lcentrifugal device for advancing the spark and taken onthe line III-III oi Figli. .t

Fig. IV is a; top plan view of the device with thedistributor 'cap removed to show the interrupter mechanism.

Fig. V is a fragmentary sectional View taken ,on the line V-V of Fig. IV.

Fig. VI is a disassembled view of the cam shaft and parts carried thereby. y

-F ig. VII is a. similar view of the base,

imv

drive shaft, and centrifugal device carried thereby. Y'

Fig. VIII is a fragmentary elevation showing one of the capsecuring springs. 4

In the drawings, the same reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the 'several views, rand the sectional views., are

taken looking in the direction of the arrows at the ends of the section'lines.

In the drawing a housing for the operative parts of the combined timer and -distributor is/showncomprising a base 5. a cylindrical casing r6 mounted thereon and. sup- I -the exterior of the casing 6 and have their upperportions engaging in suitable notches 15 formed in opposite sidesfof the cap 7.

The upper portion of the distributorV cap is provided 'with' terminal inserts 16 to whose outer ends high tension leads mav be con nected and whose inner ends lie adJacent the 'path of travel of the distributorifinger. `Intermediate itsV upper and lower edges the casing 6 is provided with a partitionl which separates the housing into upper and lower chambers and which serves t'o support the outer race oa ball bearing 18 for tlie bearing is permanently secured to the cam shatand a packing overlies the opening be-v vcam shaft 19. The inner vrace of this ball l* vtween the two races and connects with a.A

nsuitable oil passage 22 having an oil cup. 23.-

The lower end of the cam shaft 19 is reduced as' at 24 to fit into anV opening at the upper Aend of the drive shaft and be guided thereby.; The upper end of the cam shaft 19 also has a reduced extension 25 slotted as shown in Fig. 6 and provided with a tapped opening therein. A cam 27 having upper and lower flatfaces and a cylindrical central opening, adapting it to fit overvthe portion of the cam shaft with either side uppermost, is rmly secured to the cam shaft by the screw 28 which has a tapered shank adapted to engage in and expand the slotted reduced` portion 25 to firmly secure the cam to its shaft. A distributor 30 having a metallic linger 31 lits over, the head of the screw 28 and has a pin 32 imbedded in it for engaging in a suitable hole 33 extending through the cam. Y

A two-armed member 34 havinga pair of slots 35 and a pair of openings 36 is adapted to fit over the cam shaft 19 below the ball 'bearing and is separated therefromA by a washer 37. `Below the member 34 the cam shaft 19 has a screw-threaded portion 38 y through whichextends a spline 39./2 `In order to prevent relative rotation between the arm member 34 and the cam shaft, a washer 40 "is provided with a tongue 41 which engages in the spline 39 and has a pair of upwardly extending ears 42 which engage in the openings 36 of the arm member 34. The nut 43, after being threaded uponthe portion 38 to securely clamp the parts 34.` 37 and 40v against the ball bearing is vheld against backward rotation by ears 44 on the washer 40 which may be bent down yafter the nut has been tightened so as to engage its outer faces and thereby prevent the nut from working loose. v

The partition 17, in addition to'v dividing the housing into two chambers and supportlng the ball bearing for the cam shaft,v also serves to support and to guide the plate 48 4 which carries the interrupter arm 49 pro v ided with a movable contact and the statlonary contact member 50 which, as shown,

is insulated therefrom.` The carrier plateA 48 is shown provided with an integral outwardly extending arm 51 which projects tlirgugh a suitable opening 52 formedin the the pin hole 33 leadsthe adjacent cam lobe is made equal to the angle through which.

the cam moves from the instant the interrupter contacts open until the opening reaches a maximum. The distributor cap is adapted to lit on and be secured to the casing only in a definite angular position and the.' location of the pin 32`is so chosen relative to the finger 31 that the latter' will be in a position opposite an insert `16 at the instant the'primary circuit is broken by the cam. As 'a result of thi-s construction it' is only necessary, inforder to change from right hand to left'hand rotation or vice versa, to remove the cam and apply it l inverted, the position of the pin 32 and hole 33'will, in either case. insure positioning of the distributor finger opposite vor in substantiallythe same position relative an insert at ythe instant of spark occurrence.

At a point external of the casing the arm 51 carries a metallic sleeve 53 suitably insulated therefrom by a sleeve 54 and adapted to receive the reduced threaded portion 55 .of a terminal 56. A flexible conductor 57 connected in the primary circuit of the ignition system is secured to the terminal `56 which is held to the arm byva nut 55. .A

strap 58 of conducting material connects the `sleeve, 53 with a screw 59 extending up into and serving to secure the stationary contact member 50 to the plate Y48. For yieldingly holding the plate 48 on its seat and to permit a. limited rotative movement thereof, a pair of screw bolts 60 is provided which passl'throughslots 61 in the plate and through portions ofthe casing 6 into enlarged openings 62 therein. These openings Aare preferably made polygonal to correspond with a p nut 63 on the bolt so as to prevent turning i io of the nutand surrounding the bolt is a coil spring 64 to provide the necessary pressure between the plate andY the casing. The` mouth of the opening.Y 62 is closed by a plate 65 which is preferably dish-shaped and of a size to snugly lit the mouth of the opening.

It is inserted with its convex side outward 4 and after it has been struck. a blow it will Hatten out 'andfirmly engage the walls of the opening. Effective means is thereby providedl to prevent the loss of the nut 63 and spring 64 should the nut become de` tached from the bolt.

The means for automatically advancing f plate carries a pair of similar weightsf72 case illustrated, four of which are identical displacement.

in shape while the fifth plate, shown on the bottom in Fig. VII, is similar to the others but has an extension or ear 75. This ear carries a pin 76 embraced by one end ofa coil spring 77 whose opposite end 1s looped around a pin 78 carried by the platfe68.v

Each of the pins 76 and 78'has a groovenear its upper end ,for receiving an end of the spring 77. The two pins'7 6 and 78 are .so positioned that when the weight is'in4 its normal retracted position, such as illustrated in Fig. III, the centers of these two pins and the pivotal lcenter of thelwei ht lie in a vstraight line.l -Tlie effect of t is arrange- 'ment is, "therefore, that when the weights are in their normal retracted posit-ion the force of the springs opposing outward movement of the weights on their pivotal centers is zero and increases as the Weights swing outward with va, function ofthe angle of The 'layers comprising the i f wei hts are secured together by rivets 79.

Eac i pin 74 sliding in` its slot 35 serves 'to rotate the member 34 Aan amount substantially proportional tothe langular movement of t-he Weights on 'their pivots. Each of the Weights 72 is shown provided with an extension or hump 80 lying approximately inradialalineinent with the pivotal center of the weight when in its retracted position.

However, as the weight swings on its pivotal center due to the effect of centrifugal force,

this portion 8 0 takes a position such that it opposes further outward movement of the weight and this opposing force rapidly inf `creases as the weight swings` outward ou its pivot.l The effect of this extension or hump is therefore, vto lreduce theel'ective lever arm of the centrifugal Yforceacting upon the weight and tending'to rotate it `on its pivotal center. The shape and position of this extension 80 mayy be varied at will Weightsl to produce. wide variations 'in the f to produce a variety of results in the functioning of the apparatus. With vthe parts subtantiallyas shown in Fig. vIII .it has been found that the rate of advance'of the cam shaft with increasing speeds of the drive shaft follows a substantially straight line. Inasmuch as all engines do not requireor. operate to the best advange when the spark is advanced in exactproportion to the increased speed, lit is possible with this devicel` as by modifying the shape and size of the character of the spark badvance and to obtain automatically an advance 'characteristic which is best suited fora particular engine.

Itmwill be readily understood from the either right hand or left iand rotation, it

having been found more satisfactory to al- Ways` rotate the device with the weights trailing rather than leadingtheir pivotal centers'. The cairier plate 68`is accordingly a vplain flat plate with four holes, two for the pivot pins 73 andtwo for the spring holding pins 78. If the device is to' rotate to the left'.` ,orcounterclockwise as viewed from'above, these pins 73 and 78 are inserted projecting upward withk the plate as shown in Fig. III; if the opposite Vrotation is desired the plate is inverted andthe pins then inserted. For clockwise rotation theV weights are also reversed, from that illustratedby Fig. III, each layer or lamination, beginning with the bottom one having the, extension 75, Vbeing first .inverted before ,building up thc complete ,weig'jhtV After the'layers.have

been riveted together the pin 74 is driven in on the side opposite theear 75. By this construction a single plate 68 -will suffice for either right or left vhand rotation and the weights, whether for right or left hand rotation, lmay be built up from similar stampings. Absolute uniformity 'in the mass of the two weights constitutinga pairsis thereby assured.

Instead ofv inverting each lamination before building up the weights, as described above for clockwise rotation; the weights as' for counterclockvvise rotation and t -liu built up illustrated in Figs. III andVII may simply be inverted as units, the piny 74 of each, of course, being insertedvat th'e'opposite face. In this invertedi position the ear, 75 will come at the top instead of at the bottom of a weight. In order that the spring 77 may be adapted forthe Weight when inverted as lUJ well as` when in the position illustrated, the i' ,pins 76 and 78 are made of such length that the spring is carried substantially midway between the planes of the upper a-nd'vlower faces of a weight.kr

weights may be constructed identical rev12u By this provision lall gardlessl of the intended d-irection of rota-l tionand the pull o/t the spring will be'th same under both conditions.

closed' is susceptible of various other emi bodiments and as various changes might be made in the embodiment set forth, it is to be understood that all matter described above l Inasmuch as the inventionffherein, disor shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative only, andk shaft, a drive shaft and a centrifugal (le-- vice for 4advancing said cam shaft in accord'- ance Withthe speed of rotation of said drive sha-ft, an arm carried by said cam shaft and having means to engageV yWit-h said centrifugal device and means for firmly securl rier ang ar movement, interrupter mechanism ing said arm to said cam shaft including a washer splined on said cam shaft and having portions interengaging with `said arm.

2. In 'an ignition -timer -Ahaving a cam shaft, adrive shaft and a ldevice for advancing said cam shaft in accordance with the speed of said drive shaft, an arm carrie-d by said cam shaft anden-operating with said device and means forv firmly securing said arm Ito said cam shaft comprising a nut Vthreadedon said camshaft andan intermediate membersplined on said shaft and having projections engaging said arm and said nut to prevent relative rotation thereof.

3.'Int an ignition timer .having a cam shaft, a drive shaft and a centrifugal device for advancing said cam shaft in accord-- ance with the speed rotation of, said drive shaft, an arm carried by said cam shaft and adapted to be moved by ,said centrifugal devi'ce, a nut threaded on' said cam shaft, and

a sheet metal .Wash'en intermediate said arm and said nut, said Washer having an ear 'bent to engage in an opening in said'arm and hav- 'ing another earbent to engage a ,peripheral face `of said nut. l

4. In a centrifugal'device for an ignition timer, a rotatable supporting member, a weight having opposite substantially parallel faces, means whereby saidi weight may I bepivotallymounted onsaid support with either the one or the other of saidfacesadvjacent said support depending upon the direction of rotation, a restraining member for said Weight' extending parallel therewith, and means for attaching said restraining member to said Weight at a point substan- 'tially midway its two faces whereby the effeet of said restraining member ,is substantially the same with the Weight mounted in eitherv manner.

5. In an ignition timer, a casingga carrier lplatel mounted therein to have limited angular adjustment,` movable and stationary interrupter contacts carried by said plate, an adjusting arm projecting from said plate, a conductor terminalcarried by ysaid arm,

and means for conductively connecting said terminal withfone of said contacts.

6, In an ignition timer, `a casing, carlate mounted therein toZ .have limited comprising a stationary contact and a movable contact supported by said plate, an arm on said plate 'projecting through said casing 'whereby said plate may be adjusted, a. terminal for a flexible conductor secured to the projecting portion of said arm and a conductor connecting said terminal with said stationary contact.

7. In an ignition timer, a casing, arotatively adjustable carrierplate therein, a cam operated contact lever mounted thereon, a stationary co-operating contact also mounted thereon and insulated therefrom, an adjusting arm carried by said plate andy projecting through said casing, a flexible con- :insulated from said armand a strap for electrically connecting said terminal with said stationary contact.

8. In an ignition timer having acasing and an interrupter carrying plate adjustably supported thereon,l afxbolt passing ductor having a terminal secured tot and ating said device,"a cam shaft, means for sei curing said cam to said shaft either in one position f or rotation in one direction or in inverted position for rotation in they opposite direction. v

10. In an ignition' timer, the combination of a circuit controlling device, a. cam for operating said device `to open a circuit, a cam shaft, means for securing said cam to said shaft in either erector inverted position, a distributor, means for connecting said Ydistributor to said cam with the Cam in either of said positions. I l

11. In an ignition timer, the combination of a circuit interrupter, a cam for operating said interrupter, acam shaft carrying said cam, a distributor, a plurality of terminals adjacent the pathof travel of said distributor andvmeans for operativelyv connecting said distributor with said cam. when rotated iny one direction to cause said disytributor to have a predetermined angular `relationfvvith said terminals at the instant 12. In an ignition timer, the combination l of 'an interrupter arm, a cam having a plut ralityl of lobes for operating said arm to opena c1rcu1ta cam shaft, means for secursition, a distributor yhaving a linger driven by said rcam,al plurality of stationary con.-

' tact terminals arranged adjacent the path of travel of said distributor finger, a pm.v car- ',ried byl said distributor, said cam lhaving an opening therethrough spaced angularly from one -of said lobes for receiving said s pin whereby witlisaid cam in one position on said shaft' and with rotation`in one di# rection'said finger will lie opposite one of said terminals at the instant said circuit is opened yand with said cam in inverted `posi-v tion onsaid shaft and with rotation in the i whereby the current flow, is periodically inopposite direction said finger will' also lieA lopposite the same terminal at .the instant 'l said circuit is opened; y.

13. In an ignitiontimer mechanism theJ combination oftheihlgh tension timer arm,

a low tension tinterruntive mechanism, -a camming element having a plurality ofscam- Inmg faces to produce a given sequence of g interruption of said low tensioii 'interrupten and Aa connection between camming element Aand the high tension timer arm, said cam Aming elementf being reversible and said connecting means` between the cam and the timer arm being equally effective both in normaland reversed position of the cam.

l14. A` cam unit for ignition camming mechanism comprising a block having a plurality of camming surfaces on the periphery thereof, means for mounting said block for rotation, said'blockvhaving an aperturefextending therethrough adapted to receive cam `f of a carrier plate; movable and stationary holding means on eithery side of the cam."

` i 15.v A camming unit for ignition'surface including a casing, a current interrupting mechanism within the casing, a shaft within the casing='rotatable therein, and a cam positioned"- on said shaft adapted to contact withv said current interrupting mechanism 1 terrupted when-the cam is rotated, said cam normal or -reversed position.

having means for permitting adjustmentin Y16. In a centrifugaldevice for an ignition' timer, a rotatable reversible supporting member; a weight having opposite'substantially parallelfacessmeans whereby said Weight may pivotally nounted on said sup ort with either the one or the otherVy of` sai .faces adjacent 'said support dependingv 'upon the direction of rotat1on;`a restraining member for said weight extendin parallel therewith); and means for attac ing said restraining member to said weight at a point substantially midway its two faces whereby the effect of ysaid.restraining member is substantially the same with the Weight mounted in either manner. 5

. 17. In a centrifugal device for an ignition timer, a rotatablel'supporting member adapted to carry means movablevwith varying speeds'including areversible weight havlng two faces which may be pivotally mounted on said supporting member with either of said faces adjacent thereto; a restraining member for said weight; and means for connecting said' restraining member intermediate the two faces of said weight.

18. In a centrifugal device forj an ignition Itimer, a rotatablen reversible supporting member; a reversible weight which may be pivotally mounted on said support with` either of its faces adjacent thereto, said vweight having an extension adjacent to one face thereof; a restraining member; and means for connecting said restraining mem` ber at a point intermediate the two faces 0f said Weight.

.719. In a centrifugal device for an ignition timer, a rotatable supportingmember; a

reversible weight having two opposite faces which may be pivotally` mounted on said supporting member with either of its faces adjacent thereto; a pin carriedby said supporting member; a restraining member connected at one endto said pini; and means for connecting the other end ofsaid restrainsaid weight. A j v 20.`I1 1v an ignition timer the combination` of a carrier plate; movable and-stationary` cooperating contacts carried by said plate; a projecting arm; a conductor terminal car ried'by said arm; and means for conducing member intermediate the -two faces ofl tively connecting 1said terminal .with 'one of said contacts.' i

21. In an ignition timer the combination interrupterrcontacts carried by said plate;

ao projecting arm; a flexible conductorllav-` mg a terminal secured to and insulated from said arm; and astrap for' electrically connecting said terminal with one of said ladapted to support movable and stationary interrupter contacts, one of said contacts insulated from said plate; an arm connected to said plate;I a conductor terminal carried by said arm `and insulated therefrom; `and a. strap supported by saidA plate for electricallyy connecting saidterminal with one of` 'i said contacts.

24. A carrier plate for an ignition timer adapted to carry movable and stationary contacts, one of said contacts insulated from l said plate;-lan arm connected to said plate;-

`a. conductor terminal carried by said. arm and' insulated therefrom; and a strap carried by said plate having a commonsupport with one of said contacts for `connecting said Contact to said terminal.

25. In an ignition timer a'casing; a car- 5 rier plate mounted therein; means for yieldingly holding said plate to the easing; an

Y opening in said casing adapted to receive said means; and means fitting into the mouth of said opening to retain the first mentioned means. 10

In testimony whereof7 we atlix our signatures.

CLARENCE F. GILCHRIST. HARRY R. PATTERSON. 

